United Flight Attendant Q&A Thread [2013 and Onward]
Sep 2, 2014, 12:40 pm
#61
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: SFO/JFK/MGA
Programs: UA 1P MM, AA-PP, AS, DL, HH G, SPG Gold, TA nada
Posts: 2,043
Not sure why SFO-CDG would be considered undesirable for a SFO-based FA. Good hours w/ a very pleasant place to overnight.
In any case, I had probably the best service in years on my SFO-CDG r.t. last month w/ a mixed crew. Heck, even the flights left on time. I looked back at the plane when I got off - it did have the UA livery.
In any case, I had probably the best service in years on my SFO-CDG r.t. last month w/ a mixed crew. Heck, even the flights left on time. I looked back at the plane when I got off - it did have the UA livery.
Sep 2, 2014, 1:59 pm
#62
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: europa
Posts: 63
Hi,
I have some questions concerning UA F/As.
In August, I flew the following flights: CDG-ORD, ORD-HNL, and SFO-CDG.
I was surprised to see that on the international flights, there were only female F/As.
Also, on the international flights, the F/As were quite young (the oldest one was maybe 45) whereas on the ORD-HNL flight, they were much older (the youngest one was maybe 50...).
Why these differences?
BTW, I found most F/As quite friendly
I have some questions concerning UA F/As.
In August, I flew the following flights: CDG-ORD, ORD-HNL, and SFO-CDG.
I was surprised to see that on the international flights, there were only female F/As.
Also, on the international flights, the F/As were quite young (the oldest one was maybe 45) whereas on the ORD-HNL flight, they were much older (the youngest one was maybe 50...).
Why these differences?
BTW, I found most F/As quite friendly
All female is pure coincidence. Good eye to notice the crew is younger. When this flight resumed in April last year, it was super senior, like China seniority, 35+ years to hold it. Since last spring, the hotel has moved from a prime location to a less desirable location, so the seniors have gone to other flights, the juniors started to hold this trips. And it's true in some way that most seniors stay away from this trip, because they are not familiar with the airplane configuration. This 767E, it's a sUA metal but interior and galleys are sCO reconfigured, compared with usual sUA galleys, which were designed by FAs, 767E galleys are much less efficient and worker-friendly to sUA FAs. Also there are crew seats for the crew rest, for those who are used to have bunks ( 747s, 777s with bunks are all they get in SFO), can't get rest on 767E. This flight has highest rating among all international flights in SFO.
Last edited by mortenfan; Sep 2, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Sep 2, 2014, 5:15 pm
#63
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 325
Let me answer the SFO-CDG-SFO part.
All female is pure coincidence. Good eye to notice the crew is younger. When this flight resumed in April last year, it was super senior, like China seniority, 35+ years to hold it. Since last spring, the hotel has moved from a prime location to a less desirable location, so the seniors have gone to other flights, the juniors started to hold this trips. And it's true in some way that most seniors stay away from this trip, because they are not familiar with the airplane configuration. This 767E, it's a sUA metal but interior and galleys are sCO designed, compared with usual sUA galleys, which were designed by FAs, 767E galleys are much less efficient and worker-friendly to sUA FAs. Also there are crew seats for the crew rest, for those who are used to have bunks ( 747s, 777s with bunks are all they get in SFO), can't get rest on 767E. This flight has highest rating among all international flights in SFO.
All female is pure coincidence. Good eye to notice the crew is younger. When this flight resumed in April last year, it was super senior, like China seniority, 35+ years to hold it. Since last spring, the hotel has moved from a prime location to a less desirable location, so the seniors have gone to other flights, the juniors started to hold this trips. And it's true in some way that most seniors stay away from this trip, because they are not familiar with the airplane configuration. This 767E, it's a sUA metal but interior and galleys are sCO designed, compared with usual sUA galleys, which were designed by FAs, 767E galleys are much less efficient and worker-friendly to sUA FAs. Also there are crew seats for the crew rest, for those who are used to have bunks ( 747s, 777s with bunks are all they get in SFO), can't get rest on 767E. This flight has highest rating among all international flights in SFO.
SFO-HNL could be flown by HNL base crews who are much more senior compare to SFO base crews.
Heck with it. Most sUA crews now a day has at least 10 yrs seniority or more so looking for a younger FA at sUA would not be that easy.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:12 am
#64
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, WN A+, Marriott LT
Posts: 893
Does UA ever use arriving FAs to board then swap FAs for flight?
Yesterday, I was on SWA flight where the arriving crew stayed on the plane so the pax could board. We waited 15 min after boarding for the inbound FAs, they did an FA crew swap, and then we departed with the new crew. This swap probably saved about 40-50 minutes of everyone's time, since we didn't have to wait for the inbound crew to board.
Would UA ever do something like this swap? I've probably been on 50+ flights on UA where we've been delayed for late arriving crew. I've never seen this method on UA, but seems like an easy way to save money for UA and save paxs' time. I'm assuming it's against UA FA's work rules, but thought I'd share SWA's pretty neat trick.
Would UA ever do something like this swap? I've probably been on 50+ flights on UA where we've been delayed for late arriving crew. I've never seen this method on UA, but seems like an easy way to save money for UA and save paxs' time. I'm assuming it's against UA FA's work rules, but thought I'd share SWA's pretty neat trick.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:26 am
#65
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
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I don't know whether it was UA, but I've heard of legacy USA carriers at their hubs grabbing FAs that are sitting on reserve duty to come to the gate so that an aircraft can board before its own FAs arrive. In one story, the pilot requested this.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:26 am
#66
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, UA Platinum, Alaksa MVP 75K, Air Berlin Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,389
Yesterday, I was on SWA flight where the arriving crew stayed on the plane so the pax could board. We waited 15 min after boarding for the inbound FAs, they did an FA crew swap, and then we departed with the new crew. This swap probably saved about 40-50 minutes of everyone's time, since we didn't have to wait for the inbound crew to board.
Would UA ever do something like this swap? I've probably been on 50+ flights on UA where we've been delayed for late arriving crew. I've never seen this method on UA, but seems like an easy way to save money for UA and save paxs' time. I'm assuming it's against UA FA's work rules, but thought I'd share SWA's pretty neat trick.
Would UA ever do something like this swap? I've probably been on 50+ flights on UA where we've been delayed for late arriving crew. I've never seen this method on UA, but seems like an easy way to save money for UA and save paxs' time. I'm assuming it's against UA FA's work rules, but thought I'd share SWA's pretty neat trick.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:32 am
#67
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
Flight attendents are usually paid for block times - i.e. from the time the door closes to the time the door opens. Because the block times represent a small portion of the total time they are on duty, the hourly pay rate is much higher than the one for airport agents. If they board a flight they are not working, they do so on their own time and do not get paid any money.
It may be different at Southwest.
It may be different at Southwest.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:33 am
#68
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Aussie in ORD
Programs: Marriott Plat, Ua Gold, GE.. Sucker for punishment
Posts: 4,237
Gets you thinking.
Since a FA's job is mainly safety and said training revolves around that, I wonder if there exists a business model to have ground crew based boarding so FAs can basically go from gate to gate and maximize flight time..
Since a FA's job is mainly safety and said training revolves around that, I wonder if there exists a business model to have ground crew based boarding so FAs can basically go from gate to gate and maximize flight time..
Sep 23, 2014, 9:35 am
#69
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
FAs on reserve duty are not usually at the airport. They will be on reserve for a 24-hour period during which they have to be reachable by telephone or call in to crew scheduling periodically.
Sep 23, 2014, 9:46 am
#70
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
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Does UA ever use arriving FAs to board then swap FAs for flight?
*Gate agent made an announcement that the f/a had called in and said she was going to be about 20 minutes late
Oct 22, 2014, 8:26 pm
#75
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,038
If a flight crew has a multi-day layover do they get paid for the days between flights? Back in March I was on a EWR-LIS flight and while waiting for the door to open I struck up a conversation with a FA who said they 3 day layover before returning. Ever since I've been wondering, among other things, if those 3 days were unpaid.